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G. B. NORTON & A. C. MERCHANT Snap Ho ok. No. 23s,957.- '1 Patented March 15,1881.

N1 PETERS. PHOTO LJTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

tion.

a 2 in section.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE B. NORTON AND ALMOND C. MERCHANT, OF PROVIDENCE, R. I.

SNAP-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,957, dated March 15, 1881.

Application filed January 15, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE B. NORTON and ALMOND G. MERCHANT, of the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snap-Hooks for Hitch-Chains; and we declare the following to be a specification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Like letters indicate like parts.

Figure l is a side elevation of said inven- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same along the central line thereof.

Ourinvention relates to snap-hooks for hitchchains, and means for locking the same in position; and it consists of a novel combination of a screw-threaded bolt with an ordinary snaphook, such bolt to be turned, by a detachable key, into engagement with the plunger of said snap-hook to fasten the plunger in contact with the hook, when desired, to prevent displacement. Such a device, on account of the security it affords, is useful for a variety of purposes, and especially for the purpose of hitching horses in the streets of acity or elsewhere, as by this means a horse so hitched and fastened cannot be taken and driven away by malicious or mischievous persons, except such snap-hook be first unlocked bya suitable key.

Snap hooks as hitherto constructed have been made with a spring acting upon a plunger, or otherwise, to close the open space be-- tween the hook end and shank; but such hooks can be easily detached by any person from the staple or hit or other holding-surface.

The shank A is made, as usual, with a cylindrical recess extending from one end a considerable portion of its length, as shown in Fig. On the open end the shank ter minates in a hook, B, and at the opposite end in a ring, C, into which a link of a chain may be fastened. In the cylindrical recess a plun ger, D, has a sliding motion, and its outer end, a, is forced into contact with and against the end of the hook B by means of a spiral or other spring, E, acting upon the inner end of the plunger D. The plunger D may be actuated and made to slide forward or backward by means of a knob, F, attached thereto and extending through a suitable slot, b, of the shank A, along which it moves. So far the device is common and well known; and to unfiasten the hook requires simply the sliding back of the plunger by means of its knob, when whatever has been inclosed by the hook can be separated from it by any person so operating the knob.

To this common construction we have added the following new parts: We make the shank A with a tubular extension or sleeve, G, the interior of which is chambered, as shown in section in Fig.2. From the bottom of said chamber it opens by a screw-threaded bore, 0. A bolt, H, is made with a collar, d, and its outer end or head fashioned into a triangular or other suitable shape. The collar d serves to keep the bolt H from displacement, being confined within the sleeve G by the interior shoulders, e e. A key, I, fits upon the head of the bolt H, and when turned advances or withdraws the bolt along the bore a, as desired. The plunger D has a countersink, f, to receive the inner end of the bolt H when advanced therein, and by this engagement or disengagement of the bolt and plunger at said countersink the parts are locked or unlocked, as may be desired.

It is obvious that by withdrawing said bolt out of the countersink the snap-hook may be used precisely as an ordinary snap-hook, operated solely by the knob.

It is evident that the plunger may be rigidly held in position by any locking mechanism other than the particular device shown and described; but such a contrivance being only a variation of means employed by us, as specified, would be essentially within our invention.

\Ve claim as a novel and useful invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The snap-hook consisting, as described, of a recessed and slotted shank, A, hookB, countersunk plunger D, spring E, knob F, and sleeve G, chambered and bored, as shown, in combination with the screw-threaded bolt .H, to be GEORGE B. NORTO'N. ALMOND C. MERCHANT.

Witnesses IVORY HEZELTON, ADONIRAM J. CUSHING. 

